Pirates Fall To Rockies

July 26, 2014

DENVER (AP) - Brett Anderson pitched effectively into the seventh inning for his first win in more than a year and the Colorado Rockies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-1 on Friday night.

Carlos Gonzalez homered and Josh Rutledge had two hits and drove in four runs for Colorado, which has won consecutive games for just the second time in the last six weeks.

The Rockies are 16-40 since May 20 but cooled off the Pirates, who entered Friday 44-29 since starting the season 10-18.

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Pittsburgh Charlie Morton bats in the fifth inning.

Anderson (1-3) had not won since beating Houston on April 7, 2013, in his last start for Oakland. He spent four months on the disabled list and moved to the A's bullpen when he returned.

He was winless in three April starts for Colorado before a broken left index finger put him on the shelf for 81 games. Friday was his third start since coming back and he allowed just two hits into the seventh inning before leaving with a 1-0 lead after issuing a one-out walk to Russell Martin.

Tommy Kahnle came on and got the last two outs and the Rockies broke it open in the bottom of the inning off Pirates starter Charlie Morton (5-10).

Ben Paulsen and Wilin Rosario led off with consecutive doubles and DJ LeMahieu singled. Ernesto Frieri relieved Morton and pinch-hitter Drew Stubbs bounced a grounder over the pulled-in infield for an RBI double. An intentional walk to Charlie Blackmon loaded the bases and Rutledge cleared them with a double to center.

One out later Gonzalez hit his 10th homer of the season to make it 8-0.

The Rockies nearly pulled off a triple play in the fifth after Neil Walker led off the inning with Pittsburgh's first hit of the game.

With runners on first and second, Jordy Mercer hit a sharp grounder to third baseman Charlie Culberson, who stepped on the bag but his throw to second pulled Rutledge's foot off the base. Rutledge's relay to first got Mercer, and after a 3-minute, 16-second review the call at second was confirmed.

NOTES: Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado left the game after the fourth inning for an undisclosed reason. ... Members of the Manchester United Football Club visited with Rockies players during batting practice. ... Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez was not in the starting lineup for the third straight game because of left knee discomfort. He pinch-hit in the seventh and stayed in the game. ... Rockies RHP Christian Bergman (broken left hand) will pitch in a rehab start in Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday. ... Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole (right lat soreness) will start at Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday. ... Rockies manager Walt Weiss said LHP Franklin Morales will get the start Sunday.